Table of contents
- 1. Intro to Stats and Collecting Data55m
- 2. Describing Data with Tables and Graphs1h 55m
- 3. Describing Data Numerically1h 45m
- 4. Probability2h 16m
- 5. Binomial Distribution & Discrete Random Variables2h 33m
- 6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables1h 38m
- 7. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Mean1h 3m
- 8. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Proportion1h 12m
- 9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample1h 1m
- 10. Hypothesis Testing for Two Samples2h 8m
- 11. Correlation48m
- 12. Regression1h 4m
- 13. Chi-Square Tests & Goodness of Fit1h 20m
- 14. ANOVA1h 0m
6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables
Standard Normal Distribution
Problem 6.4.11d
Textbook Question
Ergonomics. Exercises 9–16 involve applications to ergonomics, as described in the Chapter Problem.
Water Taxi Safety Passengers died when a water taxi sank in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Men are typically heavier than women and children, so when loading a water taxi, assume a worst-case scenario in which all passengers are men. Assume that weights of men are normally distributed with a mean of 189 lb and a standard deviation of 39 lb (based on Data Set 1 “Body Data” in Appendix B). The water taxi that sank had a stated capacity of 25 passengers, and the boat was rated for a load limit of 3500 lb.
d. Is the new capacity of 20 passengers safe?

1
Step 1: Understand the problem. We are tasked with determining whether the new capacity of 20 passengers is safe, given that the weights of men are normally distributed with a mean of 189 lb and a standard deviation of 39 lb. The boat's load limit is 3500 lb.
Step 2: Calculate the mean total weight for 20 passengers. Multiply the mean weight of one man (189 lb) by the number of passengers (20). This gives the expected total weight of the passengers.
Step 3: Calculate the standard deviation of the total weight for 20 passengers. Since the weights are independent, the standard deviation of the total weight is the standard deviation of one man (39 lb) multiplied by the square root of the number of passengers (√20).
Step 4: Use the properties of the normal distribution to find the probability that the total weight of 20 passengers exceeds the load limit of 3500 lb. Convert the load limit into a z-score using the formula: z = (X - μ) / σ, where X is the load limit, μ is the mean total weight, and σ is the standard deviation of the total weight.
Step 5: Look up the z-score in a standard normal distribution table or use statistical software to find the corresponding probability. If the probability of exceeding the load limit is very small (e.g., less than 0.05), the new capacity of 20 passengers can be considered safe.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Normal Distribution
Normal distribution is a probability distribution that is symmetric about the mean, indicating that data near the mean are more frequent in occurrence than data far from the mean. In this context, the weights of men are normally distributed with a specified mean and standard deviation, which allows for the calculation of probabilities and percentiles related to weight.
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Mean and Standard Deviation
The mean is the average value of a data set, while the standard deviation measures the amount of variation or dispersion from the mean. In this scenario, the mean weight of 189 lb and a standard deviation of 39 lb help to understand the typical weight of male passengers and the variability in their weights, which is crucial for assessing safety limits.
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Load Capacity and Safety Assessment
Load capacity refers to the maximum weight a vehicle can safely carry. In this case, the water taxi's load limit of 3500 lb must be evaluated against the potential total weight of 20 male passengers, calculated using the mean and standard deviation. This assessment is essential to determine if the new capacity is safe under worst-case scenarios.
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